


Cymbidium

by balimaria



Category: Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson
Genre: Flowers, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, M/M, No Plot/Plotless, Snufkin & Moomin Being Adorable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:15:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24433426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/balimaria/pseuds/balimaria
Summary: Snufkin finds a gift for Moomin. Moomin returns the favor.
Relationships: Mumintrollet | Moomintroll/Snusmumriken | Snufkin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 96





	Cymbidium

“Oh, Snufkin! Look at this one- it’s beautiful!”

Snufkin lifted his head from where he was resting. Moomin was excitedly shoving a yellow-petaled tulip into his face. Snufkin took it gingerly, slightly amused at Moomin’s enthusiasm. 

“Why, you’re quite right, Moomin,” he said. “I’m sure Moominmama would love something like this. Why don’t you keep it for her?”

Moomin beamed, snatching the tulip from Snufkin’s hands. 

“Oh, Snufkin! That’s a wonderful idea! Thank you!”

Moomin skittered off, hemming and hawing at every new flower that had blossomed. The night before had brought a terrible storm- more violent than Snufkin had seen in quite a while. He recalled the way the fabric of his tent had fluttered, the stakes nearly tearing right out of the ground. Rain had lashed at the tarp he’d hastily cast, and though it protected him from the worst of the storm, the rainwater had still seeped through the fabric. 

Nevertheless, there were upsides to such an event. Namely, the fresh flowers that now blanketed the hills of Moominvalley. Snufkin twirled one such blossom between his fingers as he watched Moomin gasp at each new discovery. Mr. Hemulan was out too, gathering samples for his collection. Sniff and Snorkmaiden joined him, gathering flowers of their own in a wicker basket. But Snufkin found his eyes drawn only to Moomin’s antics. The way he twirled unbidden through the fields, flower petals torn from their stems becoming caught in his whirlwind of unfiltered joy. In an unusual moment of self-reflection, he wondered when he’d lost the ability to be that happy.

Then he chuckled to himself. It didn’t matter now. If Moomin was happy, he was happy too.

Snufkin sighed in contentment, pushing himself to his feet. He picked his hat up off the grass and placed it back atop his head, preparing to make his way over to Moomin, when something caught his attention. There, snuggled comfortably between a cluster of tickseed and snapdragons sat a forget-me-not. Snufkin crouched and cupped it in his hands. The flower’s petals were still streaked with morning dew. Snufkin glanced over his shoulder, seeing Moomin still dancing in the fields. 

He smiled to himself, and plucked the flower from the earth.

-

“Oh, Moomin!” Snufkin called, capturing the attention of his friend. Moomin dashed over as fast as his stubby legs would allow.  
“What is it?” he panted.

“I’ve got a gift for you,” he said coolly.

Moomin’s eyes lit up, and Snufkin found his smile widening against his will.

“Oh, show me, Snufkin! Please, what is it?”

“I don’t know… maybe I should give it to Mr. Hemulan instead,” Snufkin said teasingly. 

Moomin gasped. “Please don’t! I want to see it! Please, show me!” he begged.

“Oh, alright…” Snufkin relented, miming reluctance. “Here you are, now.”

Snufkin pulled the flower from behind his back, watching the way Moomin’s eyes sparkled as soon as he caught sight of it.

“Snufkin-!” he gasped, voice muffled by the paws over his mouth. “It’s gorgeous! Why, it must be the most beautiful flower in the whole valley! Oh, may I have it, please?”

Snufkin chuckled. “That is rather the point of a gift, is it not?” he said, placing the flower in Moomin’s outstretched paws. He held it up to his face reverently, admiring every detail of the blossom.

Snufkin put a finger to his chin, thinking. 

“Here,” he said. “Let me.”

Moomin looked up, slightly confused, but returned the flower anyways. Snufkin turned it over in his hands a few times, before promptly tucking it behind Moomin’s ear. 

“There!” he said. “Now it complements your eyes.”

A smile stretched across Moomin’s face, and Snufkin couldn’t help but return it.

“I- oh, I don’t know what to say!” Moomin cried. “Thank you, Snufkin! Thank you!”

Suddenly, Moomin stiffened. “I know! Wait here- I’m going to find the perfect flower for you!”

Moomin dashed away, tail swinging in excitement. Snufkin wanted to call him back, tell him that really wasn’t necessary, but he was already long gone. 

Snufkin sighed, lying back down. It was hard to remain unhappy with such a lovely day. He watched, eyes drooping, as fat and puffy clouds blustered through the pink-tinged sky. Birds flew in formation, cutting stark silhouettes through the dawn. Sniff and Snorkmaiden’s happy cries blended together with the birdsong, creating a kind of symphony that pulled him into a peaceful doze.

He was jolted awake by a familiar voice calling his name.

“Snufkin, Snufkin! I’ve found it! Oh, you’ll just love it! Snufkin!”

He sat up, watching coolly as Moomin sped towards him, legs a blur. He waited patiently for him to arrive and catch his breath. Once Moomin had straightened, breath normal again, he grinned wider than ever before.

“Well, Moomin?” he prompted.

“Okay, okay,” Moomin said hurriedly. “Close your eyes!”

Obediently, Snufkin shut them. Moomin’s shadow danced patterns against his eyelids. 

Suddenly, something tickled under his nose.

“Alright, you can look now!”

He opened his eyes, smiling kindly as he took the flower from Moomin’s palm. Long, green petals stretched away from a white and maroon center. It was…

Well, it was perfect. But Snufkin found his eyes drifting away from the flower and back to Moomin. His silky white fur twitched subtly in the slight breeze. Sky-blue eyes stood out ever more with the forget-me-not tucked behind his ear. The rising sun framed him in a way that made his outline seem to glow-

“...Snufkin?”

He realized abruptly that Moomin was waiting for him to say something.

“Oh, Moomin,” he said, trying to keep his adoration from spilling over too much. “It’s just perfect.”

Moomin shuffled his feet, face flush beneath his fur. “It took me a while to find a green one,” he murmured. “I thought, maybe, it could go with your hat…?”

Snufkin tipped his hat off his head, letting the breeze run gentle fingers through his hair. Delicately, he pulled the feather out of the slit in the fabric and tucked it into his coat. Then- gently enough as to not break the stem- he tucked Moomin’s flower into the hole.

“What do you think?” he asked with a grin. Moomin’s eyes crinkled joyfully as, without another word, he plucked Snufkin’s hat from the ground and placed it on his head.

“Snufkin, it looks just amazing! Why don’t we go back to the house so you can see?”

Moomin was nearly shaking with excitement at this point. Snufkin found himself chuckling once more at his friend.

“That’s quite alright,” he said. “I’ll look in the river later.”

Moomin looked a little disappointed, but perked up in a few seconds. 

“Alright then!” he said, already bouncing on his heels again. “I’m going to go see if I can find more flowers for Mama!” he turned on a dime, dashing away once more. But suddenly, he skidded to a halt, a strangely nervous expression dancing across his features.

“Snufkin?” he asked tentatively.

“Yes, Moomin?” he replied, already beginning to settle down for another nap.

“...Thank you. For the gift, I mean.”

Snufkin smiled gently. “Why, it’s no trouble, Moomin. No trouble at all.”

Moomin left then, gathering more and more flowers to decorate the house with. Snufkin tried not to preen himself too much at Moomin’s thanks, but it simply left him feeling lighter than it should have.

And then, as the wind slipped over the rolls and dips of the valley, the long notes of a harmonica began to join it.


End file.
